


Summertime Refrain

by Tibtew



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Genre: Ayano is angry, Clearing Eyes is edgy, Cross-Posted on Amino, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone is angry, F/M, I am bad at tags, Lots of Murder, Marry can remember all the timelines, Marry is angry, My First Fanfic, Probably ooc, Villain Reformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24205531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tibtew/pseuds/Tibtew
Summary: "But what if...what if the wish provides you stay?"This time, he laughed.Clearing Eyes tries his hand at being human.Multi-part story with different endings.
Relationships: ???/Snake of Clearing Eyes, Enomoto Takane | Ene/Kokonose Haruka | Konoha (referenced), Kozakura Mary/Seto Kousuke (referenced/implied), Main ones will be added once I complete this, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Snake of Clearing Eyes/???
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	1. Curtainfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everybody dies and a predictable scene takes place.

It was over.  
Bodies littered the ground carelessly, strewn like small snippets of paper, and the stench of blood wafted in the air, taunting the survivors who had turned their faces away from the massacre.  
In the morning, this room housed nine live occupants.

Now there were only three.

And one of them was holding a gun.

He stood in the centre of this carnage, eyes fixated on some distant point in the sky, a wide, snide smile sitting smugly on his pale face.

Slowly, callously, he began to step towards the cream-haired girl sitting in the centre of this bloody stage, eyes awash with tears.

“Your majesty…how long do you want to continue this game?”  
His tone was sneering and harsh.  
“I mean, I can keep going forever, but you…surely you must be getting bored of this endless tragedy.”  
The snake knew that taunting her would only strengthen her resolve.

And he was willing to take full advantage of that fact.

For once, however, the girl didn't answer, mumbling incoherently to herself.  
“Huh?” he asked, in mock innocence, “What's that? Have you finally lost your mind?”  
She still didn't respond, and so he ignored her, turning his attention to more peculiar matters.

Something else was moving amongst the rubble, trying to escape.

It wasn't hard to guess who; the bodies of what was once most of the Mekakushi Dan already lay lifelessly on the ground.  
But in his haste to bring Her Majesty to despair, he had neglected a single variable.  
That pesky cyber girl.

He knew sooner or later, Deceiving would betray him, and so it was of no surprise to see her utilising one of the spare bodies, but her return felt…aggravating.

It was as if his work in his old Master's body was being undone.

With swift, cold strides he reached her position and placed a hand on her shoulder without her even realising.  
“Why hello there, Opening Eyes.”  
The words were detached, draped in faux politeness.

She flinched, drawing away, only to find his grip far too strong to escape.  
“I'm afraid you won't be making it out of this timeline unscathed.” he laughed.

An empty, jeering laugh.

He whirled her around, for it was no fun to kill her from behind, and sent two shots into her stomach, waiting for the anticipated dread to set in.  
She dropped to the ground, but not before he caught the sudden flash of shock in her eyes, followed by a single, tired word.

“Haru…ka”  
“He's gone.” the creature smirked, kneeling down to face her.  
“Completely and utterly destroyed.”  
“And so will you be, again and again and again.”  
At that, he felt her body go cold.

And the world faded into white once more…

With a job well done, the snake smiled to himself, waiting for the new timeline so he could do this all again.

But, amidst the blinding white of the Haze, everything…stopped.  
Confusion filled his head as he realised something peculiar.  
There was suddenly someone else here.

The queen.

She stood there, watching him, her gleaming red eyes filled with umbrage.  
“How-- long…”  
“What was that? Speak up, your majesty, I can't hear you.”  
Even during the most unexpected of occurrences, he continued to taunt her.  
“How long…until…”

Her hands were practically shaking by now, but it was impossible to tell if it was from anger or fear.  
“How long until you leave us alone?” she practically screamed, eyes blazing, snakes coiling around her light hair.

Anger.  
Distinct, pure, anger.  
He had never seen her this mad, this _livid_ : her grandmother could become mad, certainly, but this…  
this was something else entirely.  
However, he remained unafraid.

In fact, he snorted: was this really a question?  
But he supposed a foolish question was a question nonetheless.  
“As long as it sustains me, my queen. I need wishes to live, so as long as your wishes remain unfulfilled, I can keep living.”

A moment of silence.  
Of contemplation.  
“So…anyone can make that wish, right?”  
“Yes, your majesty.”  
As quickly as the anger had arrived, it dissipated, lost in what seemed to be deep thought.  
She stood there awkwardly for a moment, then moved her gaze to meet his.  
“But what if…what if the wish provides you stay?”

This time, he laughed.  
He laughed for a while, a long, deep, maniacal laugh that echoed through the daze and wished to slice through her foolish idea.  
“And who on earth would wish for _that_?”  
He had never really viewed himself in a negative light, but even he admitted that the notion was absurd.  
“Someone surely would, if you tried hard enough.”

“And what of Awakening Eyes? Would you let him die?”  
“Konoha, I…I'm sure there's a way to save him, too!  
S-so please! The next time we meet…let it be as friends, not enemies.  
Please...let's end this tragedy.”

 _Fool_ , was the snake's only thought.

But on the outside, he only gave a curt nod.

“Farewell,” he said, as the world reset.

“Your majesty.”

“Farewell,” she replied, in the blinding summer haze.

“Clearing Eyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction, and as I've always wanted to post to Ao3, I figured I might as well put it here.  
> I originally started this in February of last year (on Amino), but I still haven't finished because I'm bad at everything, especially staying motivated.  
> Will probably finish it in due time.


	2. Remind Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clearing Eyes' first attempt (of many) to fulfill his end of the promise plays out.

The summer sun truly _was_ blinding. 

He had never really noticed before, how inconvenient summer must be for humans, with its blistering heat and never-ending noise.  
But now, on his strange quest to _be_ human, he found himself caught up in its confusion-fueled haziness as well.  
_How absurd_ , he thought to himself, as he led his Master's body through the dull morning routine he would otherwise neglect to do.  
Normally, he'd leave this part of the day to the man himself in a rare moment of relinquishing control, but he needed something to _do_ as he formulated a plan, and this was certainly better than nothing. 

Make someone wish for his existence?  
Now how on earth would he achieve _that_? 

He asked himself the same question he had asked the queen, but received even less of a response.  
What, seek out their hideout and ask to join their merry gang?  
He doubted that would sit well with Deceiving Eyes.  
And certainly not Opening Eyes…  
But, then again, she may not remember now that had a body of her own. 

And even if it wasn't for such things, this form...  
Well, it was certainly less than ideal. 

This would not do.  
No, not at all.  
But even so, a plan began to sprout in his mind.

First things first: he would need to find a new vessel. 

_August 14th - Midday_

_Awakening Eyes was suitable.  
No, he was more than that.  
He was perfect.  
His desire, to protect his friends, was so easily exploitable.  
His body, almost indestructible.  
And, to make things better yet…  
Nobody knew him.  
Well, certainly not anybody who mattered, anyways._

The snake gazed upon his new body, and grinned.  
He didn't have much time - with his surrogate life gone, his Master’s desire could be fulfilled in a day, perhaps even less than that, providing his soul was devoured by the Haze.  
But time was still time. 

And he was not going to spare a single second. 

~^~

Clearing Eyes looked up at the department store and smiled.  
He had been here many times before, back when he was impatient, wanting to destroy them and all their sickening, festering hope.  
Since then, he had learned - it was pointless to rush it, pointless to move onto an identical timeline to repeat all of their pain, fear, despair - it was the exact same, after all. 

Now that he had a vessel and a plan, his path would be simple.  
And his first step - joining the Mekakushi Dan - would be even simpler.

Clearing Eyes knew that to gain any form of advantage in his situation, he would have to join Favouring Eyes’ merry band - without being too suspicious, of course.  
Trust bred quickly amongst members; he’d be given more opportunities to watch and participate in their inane activities this way, searching for "the one" the queen had hinted at.  
There was truly only one obstacle in his path.

Deceiving Eyes.

Yes, the boy was smart, the snake would give him that, always observing and conniving no matter how afraid of the snake he may seem. 

But then again, acutely aware of the threat he posed now, the deceiver may, for once, prove to be...negligible.  
Clearing Eyes decided to wait and see - if the shapeshifter posed trouble, resetting wouldn't be an issue, anyhow. 

As the snake entered the building, ignoring the wail of police sirens and the confused shouts of onlookers, he smiled at the thought of the coming battle. 

It didn't take long to reach the seventh floor.  
It took even less time to break through the metal sheet dividing it.  
Just as the plans of the "Mekakushi Dan" or whatever asinine nickname they had given themselves began to run their course, he arrived, effortlessly moving down the “terrorists” - reduced to pathetic, whimpering children at the state of affairs - and subsequently untying the hostages, who now stared at him with unshakable disbelief. While the police scampered to detain the survivors, he made his way to _their_ group, hidden from sight by Concealing Eyes. 

The eye holders, too...they cast him looks of flickering trust, unable to determine whether he was friend or foe, though he had tried to create an impression of the former.  
It wasn’t his fault humans were so weak and easy to destroy, after all. 

Even as Concealing Eyes, the delegated leader of their group, approached him, he could sense an undercurrent of fear in her movements.  
“Hey, uh,” she spoke, rather quietly the snake noted, “You were, uh, pretty exceptional just now. I was wondering if you could come with me for a sec…”

“Sure.” the snake replied. He wondered if they saw the red glow in his eyes.

She led him to the rest of the group, seemingly using her ability to mask their presence.

“So, uh, we're the Mekakushi Dan, and-"  
"Danchou, shouldn't we do this when we get back?"  
It was Drawing's turn to speak as she cast a concerned glance over the surrounding crowd.  
Seemingly startled, Concealing mulled over the suggestion, then nodded.  
"Yeah, you're right, Kisaragi. Let's, uh…  
Let's get back to the hideout."

She led the way, the rest following obediently as Deceiving hauled the human and Opening Eyes abroad the procession, seemingly unperturbed by the surrounding discord.  
Indeed, even as police officers ran rampant, no doubt attempting to track down the snake - their saviour - the so-called “Mekakushi Dan” moved seamlessly into the streets, out of sight, out of mind.

After a short walk, during which Clearing Eyes observed the mannerisms of each member rather jadedly, they eventually arrived at what appeared to be a quaint building entirely composed of concrete.  
Well, “quaint” wasn’t the word Clearing Eyes would use to describe it exactly - it was rather drab, really, with its high grey walls and wired fence - but he supposed many useless things were in this world.

"This is the hideout." Concealing gestured as they stepped inside, “It’s, uh, where we hang out most of the time.”  
"I know."  
She gave him a cold, methodical glance, as if searching for something, then shrugged whatever feeling had housed itself within her off, turning instead to other matters at hand.  
The deceiver, meanwhile, took his chance to formally welcome the “new recruit”, moving swiftly to one of the couches occupying the main room.  
“Okay, anyways - welcome, newbie to the Mekakushi Dan! We’re an ‘organisation’, if you will, that works on super-secret operations throughout the city! We couldn’t help but notice a certain colour around you, if you know what I mean and decided that you’d be perfect member material. So, what do you say? Wanna join?”  
_So they did see..._  
Though his voice and expression remained cheery, Clearing Eyes could feel a certain kind of animosity emanating from the boy, almost as if he stared past all the pleasantries and into the snake’s very soul.  
Not that he had one to begin with - snakes didn’t tend to have those.  
_Could he tell...No, surely not..._

Clearing Eyes pretended not to notice Deceiving’s tone, and answered as unobtrusively as he could muster.  
“Alright, I’ll join.”

“Excellent!” came the answer, lacking any real hint of delight.  
The boy turned around, placing his arms behind his head as he let out a long, almost bored yawn.  
“Oh, by the way, you’ll be member number six, ‘kay? What’s your name, newbie?”  
_A...name…_  
Clearing Eyes hadn’t thought of this.  
Naturally, he would’ve supposed giving a name was going to become necessary sooner or later, but it was somewhat hard for him to think of suitable pseudonym that didn’t immediately give him away.  
If Favouring had been aware of his “nickname”, hell, if she had informed any of her affiliates of their enemy, any name along the lines of “Clear”, “Clearing”, “Clearer” could be thrown out the window.  
_What was his old master’s name? Kenjirou?_  
No, that would not do at all.  
_Human names are so worthless, anyways…_  
After a brief internal debate and what he knew was too much silence, he finally responded.  
“Call me...Saeru.”

“Saeru, huh? Man, what a weird name…” Deceiving giggled.  
_“Though I wouldn’t expect more from you, I suppose. No imagination, as always…”_  
The latter comment was far, far, quieter. Clearing Eyes didn’t think he would’ve been able to make it out had it not been for Awakening’s exceptional body. 

Smirking, he didn’t say a word and turned to the other brats.

~^~

“Saeru, a word?”  
Deceiving Eyes gave a grin as he spoke, artificial as always.  
It had been a few hours since his inauguration, and now he was approached by the boy once more.  
“Ah, sure - Kano, was it?"

Deceiving motioned to a relatively isolated corner of the room, clearly careful to be absent of any witnesses.  
As soon as he ensured that there would be no one around to see them, he turned to the snake, snarling.  
“Look, I don’t know what you are doing or why you are doing this, but I know who you are - drop the act already.”

Clearing Eyes decided to toy with him a little more, casting an expression of mock bewilderment.  
“I don’t understand...did I do something wrong? _Did I hurt you?_ ”  
He emphasised the last sentence, whining like a child who had broken their favourite toy.  
In response, Deceiving Eyes’ expression shifted from one of suspicion and irritation to a picture of pure vice.  
“Bastard - you’re just playing with me, aren’t you?! Waiting for the perfect moment to strike and kill us all, huh?”  
He clenched his fists, fury emanating from his voice.  
_Just like that foolish "sister" of his..._  
“Well, I won’t stand for it. Not anymore."

Clearing Eyes smirked one of his smug signature smirks, but sighed inwardly.  
_He really did hate how they were all beginning to develop lip._  
"Oh well, it’s not like you can do anything about it, anyways. The moment you tell anyone, this world that you treasure so much will come crumbling down. Understand?”  
Barely concealing his contempt, Deceiving almost spat at the snake.  
"I am not letting you toy with us like this."

“Hey, Saeru, Kano, want to come eat? Food’s almost ready.”  
It was Drawing who had interrupted their conversation, casting an innocuous, if not confused glance towards the pair.  
Deceiving Eyes gave him a dark glare before slowly moving past him and the idol.  
Turning towards her, Clearing Eyes spoke:  
“Yes, I’ll come too.”  
He grinned.

~^~

_August 15 - Midday_

Clearing Eyes knew that he couldn't rely on Deceiving Eyes to take orders from him anymore.  
The moment he saw that dark look within the boy’s eyes, it became all too clear; he’d have to find someone else to his dirty work for him.  
_In the meantime…_  
Well, he'd have to arrange a little _accident_.

As the brats awoke and began their routine scuffle, the human making even more of a ruckus than usual, Clearing Eyes mused on his coming plans.

“Hey Saeru, you coming with us? The amusement park is this way…”  
“I’ll meet you all there. It’s in the suburbs, correct?”  
“R-right. See you there, I guess…”

At the crossroads, nobody noticed the dark-haired man turning the other way.

_Contrary to expectation, at the end of the road  
A frail body was flung out, dyed in red sorrow.  
With eyes open I watch on, the cries of the one,  
That he had been trying to save.  
The second hand halts as it stops all of its cold ticking,  
Trying to blind the haze-filled warm world along with it.  
This dream will never end, will never end._

__

__

_Ah…  
As blood spilled out onto the streets of hazy dreams and delirium, the serpent smiled.  
The queen didn’t matter.  
The world didn’t matter.  
Clearing Eyes will carry out his own plans.  
No matter how much blood it takes._

There's a certain assurance in this kind of thinking, Clearing Eyes presumes, that motivates him to keep moving forward.  
It's not the thought of being unlovable or viewing the queen as foolish (though, _really_ , she is far too attached to those humans - not that it helps her, mind you) that spurs him on - no, it's merely the concept, the knowledge that his fate remains within his own hands, that no matter what anyone says his life isn’t dependent on the fickle emotions of some foolish, lowly creature.  
He has, of course, entertained the idea of some vague wish for his existence multiple times before, laughing at the amount of pain that would bring Favouring Eyes or even the queen.  
But no matter - humans are not worth his time.

Now, he stared at the small boy beneath him, still unconscious from his time in the never-ending world.  
It hadn’t been hard to lure him and his companion away into the clutches of an oncoming vehicle, too caught up in their own problems to care about the crumbling world around them.  
_Typical…_  
Well, no matter; the boy had his snake.  
That was all Clearing would need.

Smiling, the serpent abandoned the child and moved to find himself prey. 

Or, well, would’ve moved, had it not been for the pair of eyes watching him.

~^~

_August 15 - Afternoon_

“What- what are you doing?”

_On that particular day, the children had decided to visit an amusement park, one located a few miles from the burning heat of the central city._

“What...what happened to you?”

_“Huh...Saeru still isn’t here. Kisaragi, wasn’t he with your group?”  
“I thought so too, Danchou, but I don’t see him anywhere…”  
“Oh, who cares, anyways? Like, I’m sure he’ll get here on his own - he seems like a smart guy. Hey, Marry, wanna go inside the haunted house? Looks fun, right?”  
“Danchou, should I look for him? I really don’t want him to get lost.”  
“Kisaragi, Kano has a point. Why are you so intent on finding him?”  
“I don’t know...I just have this terrible feeling about leaving him alone. I’ll go on my own-”  
“No, I’ll go. Who knows how far he wandered off - besides, it wouldn’t be very leaderly of me to let one of our members get lost.”  
“Are you sure, Danchou? You don’t have to-”  
“It’s fine. I’ll be back soon.”_

__

__

_“Huh? Where’s Kido?”  
“Oh, she went off to find Saeru.”_

“Kido...Kido, Where are you?! Damn you, damn you-”

The snake didn’t expect to see Concealing Eyes again as soon as he did.  
He had presumed that the Dan had been drawn in by the sights of the amusement park, too fascinated by some thrilling ride to even think about him, allowing a swift end later when all the pieces finally fell into their places for him to destroy.  
And yet, here their leader was, clear as day, staring up at the snake with fear.

“Why do you look like that? What did you _do_?”

In that moment, Clearing Eyes felt a lot of things. 

“Answer me!”

First and foremost, he was disappointed.  
Though he was aware of each timeline’s briefness, he had truly felt that this one could alleviate an annoyance within him, an annoyance that had planted itself in him long ago and forced him to question things, things that would elsewise come as second nature.  
And yet, there was no way to avoid it.  
The red soaking his hands had nowhere to hide under the sun’s implicating rays.

And Clearing Eyes knew that he wouldn't be able to stop once he started - oh, he knew that a threat would soon turn to violence and violence into a massacre - but he couldn’t find any reason to care.

It would all reset, after all.

"Oh well - I suppose you caught me."

The events happened rather quickly after that - in that passing moment, the gun, once hidden away, was in the snake’s grasp; then a bullet in Concealing; then another one in Deceiving, who had been following so closely behind.

_Ah...it was so pointless, anyways._  
With such blood on his hands, there was no need to try anymore.  
Inevitably, the rest would begin asking questions; inevitably, he’d be incriminated; inevitably, all would begin anew.  
The snake suddenly realised something and a look of befuddlement nestled on his otherwise content face as he attempted to make sense of the situation.  
_Why had she come here at all?_

~^~

Clearing Eyes wasn’t sure what reaction the sight of their dead leader would provoke out of the remaining members, but as his eyes drifted over the varying expressions of horrification, he felt satisfied. 

That was, until he locked eyes with the queen.  
Though she too bore a face of shock, her eyes were looking straight through him, one word flickering in the fickle atmosphere between them.  
_Betrayal._  
The fury emanating from her felt like a test, like a challenge: as if she was daring him to do something.  
Oh, but dare he shall. 

In an instant, Concealing Eyes’ body fell to the ground and the snake was beside them, supplying Stealing Eyes and the human with bullets, first to their stomachs, then heads.  
As the two crumpled beneath him, he turned to Drawing Eyes.  
And, for extra emphasis, slipped the pistol into Concealing’s hand as he shot.

He grabbed the phone, grinning at Opening Eyes, and flung it to the ground, cackling.  
Oh wow, he really _did_ enjoy being the villain. 

As he stared at the carnage, sighing satisfactorily, he felt a tiny hand tap him on the shoulder.  
And, as he turned around, felt a tiny fist against his face.  
“Ow! What the-”  
It wasn’t very forceful, barely scratching Awakening’s indestructible body, but, startled nonetheless, he dropped his weapon.  
And that’s when the queen picked it up.

With one swift kick to his nether regions, she incapacitated him, pushing him to the ground and, to ensure he would remain there, pressing one foot against his chest.  
Tears streaming down her face, hair coiling into snakes, the queen was holding him at gunpoint.

“Y-you lied to me! You broke our agreement!”  
Clearing Eyes was too startled to speak for a few moments; then, when he finally did regain his voice, could barely suppress his laughter.  
And so he laughed, laughed into the empty streets of their deserted town, no, deserted world, laughing at their - and her - foolishness, until a gunshot right next to his head started him back into reality.

"It’s not my fault they were foolish enough to search for me."  
Despite his best attempts, annoyance got the better of his tone: he did not enjoy being held at gunpoint by an albino midget.  
“They trusted you! I-I trusted you!”  
She gripped the gun tighter, prompting the snake to sigh; he truly did despise it when she had the upper hand - or well, thought she did.  
He knew he could push her off easily, could reclaim his rightful weapon in less than an instant, turning the tables faster than he turned her “friends” into cadavers.  
But, in this state of mind, with the power imbued into her, some careful, moronic part of him genuinely feared what she would do in response to that.  
_Oh, please - she’s not frightening in the slightest._  
And yet, he remained still.  
"Deceiving Eyes didn’t - and you know, I don’t believe he ever will.”  
“I don’t care! They cared for you, and you...you just threw it all away!  
Look what you’ve done!”  
He lifted his head slightly,observing the corpses, then shrugged blankly.  
The fury within her eyes darkened.

“Don’t you feel at least a _little_ guilty?! Don’t you feel _anything_?! How sick-”  
“Why should I?”  
He interjected rather apathetically, but it seemed to shut her up nonetheless.  
“Why should I harbour any emotion towards these pitiful, disgusting beings to begin with?”  
He watched her jaws tighten, then continued.  
“However, I have not broken our agreement. Provided that your proposition is able to...alleviate me of something, this is merely the first of many attempts. Rest assured, I will try again.”

Shakily, the girl removes her foot and pulls him up.  
The look in her eyes now seems...contemplatory.

“F-fine. You have another chance.  
Don't make me regret this.”

The snake bows, in his usual manner of faux politeness. 

“You have my word, queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter, again cross-posted from Amino.  
> Originally I thought I'd post here periodically, but after posting the first chapter, I thought, fuck it, might as well make this as up-to-date as possible.  
> Clearing Eyes: I should avoid names that might give me away  
> Also Clearing Eyes: Calls himself "Clear" **_but in Japanese_**  
>  _ ** ~~smart~~**_  
>  (Is this meme format dead yet?)  
>  ~~Clearing Eyes is a lying little bitch~~


	3. Additional Memories I - Crane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Part 3: Additional Memories**  
>  In which a certain red heroine is most prevalent.
> 
> _I - Crane:_  
>  Clearing Eyes is confronted by a familiar face.

"You're not actually going to make good on that promise, are you?”

Favouring Eyes speaks as he enters her corner of the Haze, the snake turning to the pale, brown-haired high schooler bearing her signature scarlet scarf.  
She’s seen this tragedy unfold multiple times now - no doubt she finds this new development...interesting.

“Oh, have I really become that predictable?”  
There is no real malice behind his voice, no deep-seated hatred or mocking vice; since their conversation atop the roof, they’ve met here frequently - provided he killed everyone she cared about first.

He’s grown accustomed to her sorry sight, a mere shadow of the heroine she once was, forced to repeat tragedy over and over again until the bright crimson shade in her eyes had faded and dulled, the once persistent aggressiveness that she greeted him with turned hardened vitriol.  
Naturally, she can’t do anything about it - doomed to her chosen path, Favouring Eyes’ only connection to the outside world had been him and him only.  
And out of this bloomed a relationship laced with animosity.  
She would tell him about things, and he’d sneeringly respond - likewise, she’d ask about the outside world and all its idiocies, and he’d answer correspondingly, noting the trivial little differences within each timeline.  
It was a cold friendship, one built on reliance rather than affection, but he didn’t mind it.  
The words, “I hate you” get so listless after a while...

But no point dwelling on the past.  
_Of course Clearing Eyes isn't going to make good on that promise._  
He knows, she knows - and some deep, despairing part of the queen probably knows too. 

Favouring Eyes likely knows what he's thinking as she speaks to nobody in particular.  
"I know, but it's in her nature, isn't it? If she thinks she's found a way to save her friends, she won't stop trying until you've either completely destroyed her hopes or she's succeeded."  
"Do you believe she'll succeed?"  
The question is asked more so out of an abstract desire to mock her than innocent curiosity, hoping that the answer will be enough to use as ammunition for undermining her character.  
In response, she grins, not a hint of warmth accompanying her tone. 

"Yes - in your dreams, perhaps."  
He's vaguely surprised by this reply, but decides to take his mockery further anyway.  
"Ah, does the 'big sister' not want me to steal away her lover or siblings? How selfless of you."  
Staring into her dull, crimson eyes, he pulls a face he hopes discomforts her and taunts.  
"You know, if you just let me take one, you wouldn't have to worry anymore. I'm sure they wouldn’t mind..."  
He holds special emphasis on the last syllables, the implications all too clear and sniggers as he can only imagine what horrid conjuring she sees in her head now.  
He revels in this, in her utter misery and helplessness.  
Impressively, or rather annoyingly, the snake notes, she retains that plastered-on smile, not showing any signs of a wavering composure.

Her voice though, when she finally does speak, is seething with rage.  
"You're despicable." she says.  
"But" and here she pauses, mulling over something, "at least this is one goal you can't achieve."  
She sighs, still smiling.  
"Friendships require patience, you know…"  
"Oh? Is that a challenge?"  
She answers almost immediately, shaking her head eagerly.  
"No, it's a statement. You’re far too petty and arrogant to make friends - the single reason I even talk to you is because you’re the only one here."  
He snickers.  
“Aww...I thought that you were finally beginning to see my charms.”  
“You have none.”  
The response is cold and cuts like glass - or, well, would.  
Clearing Eyes finds her anger amusing, if anything.  
“Well, I beg to differ - see, I think I just found something... _interesting_.”  
“What might that be?”  
His recalls the sorry sight of Concealing Eyes, then sighs.  
“Something that may...rid me of something.”  
Recognition flares within her eyes, and she looks up at him, genuinely surprised.  
“Have you found a way to get rid of the boredom you’ve been complaining about the past few routes? That’s sad - I thought you viewed all humans as dull.”  
“Yes, but this time...something confounding occurred.”  
She grins, looking out of the classroom window into their barren wasteland of a residence. 

“Well, it won’t happen again - they’ll never accept you.”  
"Watch me." the snake taunts, and he laughs in the Haze as the timeline resets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the segmentation of each chapter into what I henceforth dub "scenes"!  
>  _(Also, tense change because parts 1-2 are the setup, while parts 3-5 are what Clearing Eyes_ is _doing. The epilogue will be in the future tense)_  
>  There's not much to say about this one, except that I'd like to think that Ayano, despite remaining at least somewhat optimistic over the passing of thousands of timelines, definitely harboured a deep hatred for Clearing Eyes, which she would express on a semi-regular basis until realising it was pointless and allowing it to mellow out into a bitter friendship.  
> Their relationship is definitely at least somewhat inspired by the fic "Snakes Over Scarves" by ValhallaTime (go read that, it 's some good shit), but I hope I can put my own spin on it.  
> Clearing Eyes doesn't open up excessively to Ayano, but she's probably one of the only people he's willing to do so at this point - mainly because she can't do shit with the information he gives her, and he's able to brush off most of her insults.  
>  _Clearing Eyes: haha children go boom boom_  
>  _Ayano: haha, ~~snake neck go crack crack~~_  
>  _ ~~If only Konoha's body wasn't so ridiculously indestructible~~_


	4. Additional Memories II - Player Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Part 3: Additional Memories**  
>  In which a certain red heroine is most prevalent.  
>   
>  _II - Player Win_  
>  Clearing Eyes attempts to form bonds with various members of the Dan to get back at Ayano.

_August 14 - Evening_

Clearing Eyes retraces his steps from the previous timeline, already wondering how many times he’ll have to go through these motions. 

Gaining trust can't be that hard, surely.  
_He had been doing it for years with his old Master's body - how would this be any different?_

Well, to begin with, these are children. 

"Conc- Kido, may I ask for your assistance in something?"  
Concealing Eyes, who had been reading absently on a couch, starts, then looks up at him in surprise.  
"Uh, sure Saeru. What do you need?" 

"I require assistance in locating, the, you know, cookie jar."

He figures something simple like this would not only give him headway with the pleasantries but would also familiarise him with the hideout's layout, undoubtedly useful for future reference.  
From what he has observed, human households with kids tend to host some form of universal sweets container, frequently dubbed a "cookie jar" wherein most of the sweet foods would be placed, ready to be distributed amongst the children. 

Concealing Eyes, however, instead of solemnly nodding and directing him to the desired location, where he could initiate some form of asinine small talk, only raises an eyebrow.  
"Uh…we, uh, don't have one of those…"  
"Oh."  
This is rather unprecedented. 

Clearing Eyes slowly realises that he is terrible at this small talk business, wonders if he should make a snarky comment to compensate, then ultimately realises once more that even he can't make cookies sound degrading.  
"Oh..okay then…"  
_If Favouring Eyes could see him now, she'd be laughing her ass off._

He briefly contemplates giving up and just killing them, but dismisses the thought as he pictures Favouring Eyes finally breaking down.  
A picture he finds too humorous to pass up. 

Concealing Eyes sits up, a concerned ( _and rather concerning_ ) look on her face.  
"Are you hungry or somethin'? I can see what we have…"  
Though Clearing Eyes requires no chemical sustenance to survive, he supposes this is only a slight deviation from his original plan and follows Concealing wordlessly into their kitchen area.  
There, she opens the fridge, a utility Clearing Eyes himself has never seen use for, and rummages through, searching for something evidently edible.  
When at last she retrieves something, she turns to what he presumes to be their pantry, ruffles through and grabs something of equal import. 

"We have cereal." she states, thrusting a packet of the dried grains along with a carton of milk into his hands.  
Then, contemplating, she takes them back.  
"No, that wouldn't make a good dinner, would it…"  
She thinks for a second, then shakes her head.  
"Ah, I'll send that idiot shopping tomorrow.  
Here, in the meantime, I'll make you something."

Placing the cereal and milk to the side, the green-haired female recovers a few eggs from the fridge and turns to a large, black surface.  
Though Clearing Eyes is aware of its function and controls, he doesn't recall ever hearing the object's name in abstract conversation.  
"Can I operate the…" he asks, trailing off as he points at the object.  
"The stove? Nah, it's fine. I can handle it.  
You get out some rice and green onion - I’ll make you some fried rice.”  
Gesturing to the pantry where he is able to locate the aforementioned items, she gets out a long, white apron and sets to work. 

As Clearing Eyes watches her cook, he finds himself quite impressed with her ability; though he himself has prepared food before, requiring it to sustain that foolish man’s body, he has never really seen any allure in the activity.  
Concealing Eyes, however, makes it look quite exciting - appealing, almost.  
“Do you cook often?”  
The question slips out before he can truly think it over, leaving him baffled by his own curiosity.

Concealing Eyes shrugs, a response, he realises, she produces often ( _Why did he notice that? He shouldn’t notice trivial things like that._ ) and responds rather nonchalantly.  
“I suppose you could say that.”  
Clearing Eyes spots an opportunity for exploitation, and laughs inwardly as he realises the possibilities this may garner.  
“Could you teach me?”  
The girl casts him a bemused, albeit amused look, clearly wondering why on earth he would ask for such a thing.  
“Uh...I guess so…”  
“Really?”  
Giving humans false hope, he finds, is quite amusing.  
The motivation, however, seems to have done its job as Concealing Eyes gives him a more determined glance.  
“Y-yeah! Really!”

Clearing Eyes wonders if they have a book of poisons amongst their varied collection…

~^~

“You good now?”  
Concealing Eyes takes a plate from one of the cupboards and sets the meal down, giving it to the snake.  
He stares at the food in front of him and an idea forms within his mind.

“Actually, there is one more thing you can do for me…Do you have any paper?”  
“Here.”  
She passes him a blank sheet, and he begins to write.  
_~~List of friends~~ Mekakushi Dan member_

“Why do you need that?”  
Concealing Eyes seems genuinely curious as she looks over his shoulder.  
“It’s for...a project. Now, will you sign this for me?”  
“Uh...okay.”  
As she scrawls the hurried signature, he  
“Oh, and write something like, ‘Saeru is a very friendly person.’”  
She raises an eyebrow, prompting him to confusedly question the gesture.  
“What? We’re friends, aren’t we?”  
She sighs, scribbling something down.  
“You’ve got an...interesting idea of friendship.”  
“Also, may I borrow your cellphone? I need to take a picture.”  
“Uh, sure.”  
He holds the device up awkwardly, taking photographic proof for Favouring Eyes to gawk at.  
“Smile - oh, and try not to _disappear_ from the camera’s view.”  
He feels a light punch on his shoulder as the shutter clicks.

~^~ 

"Hey, Saeru, thanks for helping me out."  
As Clearing Eyes places the last of the logs upon the stack, Stealing Eyes approaches him.  
After interacting with Concealing, the snake had decided to seek out the boy at one of his various part-time jobs, hoping to kill two birds within one day.  
_That’s how the saying goes, right?_  
It just so happened that he was doing manual labour, something the snake, with Awakening’s body, was happy to assist in.  
"No problem Stea- Seto. Hey, could you just sign this...”  
Before long, the snake has another signature and photograph under his belt. 

Stealing Eyes is naive and predictable; Stealing Eyes is _safe_.  
He can't, however, say the same for Deceiving Eyes… 

Clearing Eyes knows that he didn’t _have_ to go through all that trouble just to get a piece of damn paper signed and a picture taken with Concealing and Stealing.  
Despite his sudden assimilation into their lives, they are both far, far too trusting for their own good.  
Deceiving Eyes, conversely, is an entirely different case.  
As soon as the snake approached him, the boy had engrossed himself in some mundane task, clearly not up for conversation. 

Clearing Eyes, however, is not giving up.  
“Did you not see how well I got along with your friends?”  
"Cute. Real cute."  
The boy’s face remains firmly disinterested.  
"I’m even taking cooking lessons from Concealing - see, I really have turned over a new leaf."  
Deceiving Eyes looks up at the Snake, then turns his attention back to the magazine he’s reading.  
"Uh-huh. Sure."  
“Kid, if you want to protect your family, this is the most surefire way to do that.”  
The boy merely rolls his eyes.  
“Whatever game you’re playing, count me out. I think I’ve made it clear that I’m done being your puppet.”  
His abrasiveness startles the snake, until Clearing Eyes realises that Deceiving must’ve caught onto the fact that he needs them alive.  
“But what if I’m not lying...what if this _does_ protect your family-”  
His provocations seem to finally take their toll as Deceiving jumps up, fury dancing in his eyes. 

"You know what _would_ protect my family? If you leave us and never come back!  
I don’t care if you’ve really ‘changed’ or whatever...you...you…”  
He bites his lip, a few stray tears spilling out. 

“You killed Ayano…and I will never, ever forgive you for it, got that?" 

Clearing Eyes wonders how quickly the boy notices the muzzle of the gun being pointed at him.  
He's angry, he doesn't know why, but he's angry - and staring at this pathetic boy makes him angrier still.  
"I'd watch that mouth of yours if I were you...got that?" 

Yet despite this, Deceiving Eyes remains rather unafraid.  
Angrier, even.  
"Shoot me. Shoot me, I dare you.” 

"Okay."  
Clearing Eyes has run out of patience.  
_Two signatures received - seven to go._  
He doesn’t visit Favouring Eyes this time around. 

~^~ 

In the next timeline, the snake decides to skip Stealing and Concealing altogether, holding on to the signed piece of paper.  
_He can get the pictures and the cooking lessons later._  
Still adamant to prove Favouring Eyes wrong, he now realises that if he wants to succeed, he would have to leave Deceiving Eyes for last.  
But who from the Dan would be the next eligible target? 

“It's you.”  
The voice’s sharp ring prompts him to look up but he sees only the human’s phone, lying on one of the sofas.  
Opening Eyes. 

She seems pissed. 

"I know what you did.” 

He grins.  
“Oh? Whatever did I do?” 

“You killed everyone.” 

Her deadpan look and voice as she says this startle him slightly - after all, he's accustomed to beings at least slightly emoting when speaking of death - but he tries not to let it show, regaining his smooth, snide tone as he next speaks. 

“And how exactly would you remember that? I believe you require ‘Internet’ to ‘save’.”  
He's heard the former term being tossed around humans and exercises it carefully, hoping to not make a fool of himself in order to retain control over the conversation. 

“Master has 4G.” she replies flatly. 

“I…see.” he says in a clipped tone, with pretending to know what she meant.  
“I presume that means you remember everything? Even your death?” 

She says nothing. 

“Tell me, Opening Eyes, have you kept track of the number of times you've died?” 

Her expression darkens.  
But still, she says nothing. 

So he decides to go for something different.  
"I'm certain he has." 

She casts a confused look, but remains silent.  
Clearing Eyes, meanwhile, brings forth his very best theatrics.  
"I'm certain he's trapped, counting the times you've died as a way to focus on something, anything other than the overbearing pain.  
_One timeline, two timelines, three timelines…_  
He can see it. He can feel it.  
But he can't do anything about it.  
Ah, his memories are so delightfully despairing…If only I had reason to let him relive it all..."  
The trap is set; the deed is done.  
Now he waits for her response, for her to burn like a moth to a flame. 

"You can bring Haruka back?"  
_Like a moth to a flame._

He smirks.  
“If I wanted to.”  
He’s lying through his teeth, of course; the boy is no spirit and even if he was, there was no way Clearing Eyes would give up this body so willingly.  
Yet, for once, he sees hope gleam in the blue-haired girl's eyes. 

“What do I need to do?” comes the ask. 

_The snake smiles._

“Love me.” he breathes, and as her expression twists into something horrified, he begins to laugh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lengths this guy will go to in order to piss off Ayano astound me.  
>  ~~ _Haha, get it, he's petty-_~~  
>  Anyhow, I don't really like this chapter - I don't really like any of the chapters in Part 3 (except maybe the first one and the ending of the last one), but it is what it is.  
> This stupid collection-questy bullshit is kind of necessary if I want the next chapter to work.


	5. Additional Memories III - Thistles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Part 3: Additional Memories:**  
>  In which a certain red heroine is most prevalent.  
>   
>  _III - Thistles_  
>  Clearing Eyes finds himself unable to understand the kindness of humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _This is the first and only time you will see notes here._  
>  I want to think that the Ayano part is cute - please tell me if I fucked up.

_Clearing Eyes has always been one for routine._

It had been evident back then, before the queen's silly little proposition, and it was certainly evident now, with the increasing discomfort he felt the more time he spent with these children. 

It isn't routine to see them so...lively around him.  
Or to see them alive in general. 

This feeling isn't guilt, no.  
He has seen guilt, mayhaps even felt it once or twice in his lifetime, but whatever this is, it's not it.  
Guilt is a sinking, empty feeling, an emotion akin to a vacuum within one’s chest, absorbing all pleasantries in its sudden grievance.  
This feeling is different, a burning, crawling discomfort that triggers whenever he's around any member of the Mekakushi Dan for too long.  
Is it...shame?  
_Is he ashamed of these people?_  
He isn't surprised by the idea - they are undoubtedly inferior to him in every way possible, even lacking the self-awareness to recognise that. 

But this unfaltering feeling is annoying.  
He wants to escape from it. 

"Hey Saeru, wait for me!"  
His musings are interrupted by the cheerful cry of Drawing Eyes, something he is almost grateful for as he looks up and walks straight into a lamppost.  
Though it doesn't hurt, it's certainly an uncomfortable ordeal nonetheless, and so he stops, waiting for the girl to catch up.  
When she finally does reach his position, her face is reddened with exertion and wracked with worry. 

"Ah, sorry…it seems I wasn't paying heed to my footing."  
"I'm so sorry! I tried to call out to you but you hurried off without me and now you're hurt… Are you okay?"  
The tidal wave of concern, though genuine, feels superfluous, and Clearing Eyes feels that burning emotion crawl up on him once more.  
"I'm fine - you really shouldn't busy yourself with the wellbeing of others, you know."

It was August 15th for what felt like the umpteenth time, and the pair were out shopping.  
Drawing Eyes had insisted on being able to control her ability and Clearing Eyes merely had some business to attend to within the city, so, naturally, the former decided to unceremoniously drag along the latter to all their planned activities before anyone could object.  
Clearing Eyes decided to simply grit his teeth and pull through it, not wishing a repeat of the _last_ route and also disappointedly realising that drawing a gun on a popular idol in a public setting may not be one of his finest plans thus far.  
It's a shame, too - out of all the members, Drawing seems to be the most upbeat around him, and it's beginning to become annoying.  
He realises that it's partially due to her own inherent friendliness and partially due to her inherent density, being the only Dan member who doesn't seem to find him intimidating in the slightest.  
It'd almost be admirable if it wasn't so foolish.

“Eh? Why are you so cranky all of a sudden? I’m just trying to be nice!”  
As she says this, his mind flickers back to the emotion, and he counteracts it once more.  
“Great - can your ‘niceness’ get us to our destination, or is it just going to delay us further?”  
He doesn’t care if his harsh tone hurts her, or if she even notices at all.  
He just wants to get back to the hideout.  
Obtain her signature.  
And move on.  
The summer sun is bright enough as is - he doesn’t need any more warmth from these beings to fuel the flames.

The idol pouts, crossing her arms irately.  
“If you're going to be like that, I'm not sure I'll give you that autograph later."  
Clearing Eyes sighs inwardly, cursing himself for misjudging the fickle nature of these humans.  
“Kisaragi,” - he’s addressed her so many times, there's no longer a need for self-correction - “if you wish to disappoint a fan of yours by failing to sign a mere autograph, fine with me. I have business to attend to - and perhaps a more charming idol to find.”  
He watches the social pressure dance upon her face, smirking to himself.  
“Jeez, if you want it _that_ badly…Hey, come back here!”

The business, of course, is a matter of printing.  
He has obtained a picture with most, if not all, members of the Dan, but, lacking a cellphone or an incentive to buy one, he decides to go about things the "old-fashioned way" printing the files from Drawing's old, dying device.

The only reason the girl hasn't signed his document of mockery is that she claimed to take half an hour with signatures and wished to prioritise her personal goals before pursuing this apparently arduous task.  
Clearing Eyes grabs the printed images and turns around to leave.  
“Uh...aren’t you going to pay, sir?”  
At this, he stills.  
_Pay...money…_  
Oh, right.  
Human transactions involve money.  
He was so used to his old master paying for everything via an elusive metal card, he neglected to remember it isn’t on his person anymore.

“I’ll just-”  
“I’ll pay for him.”  
Drawing Eyes, seemingly coming out of nowhere walks past the snake and pays in his stead.  
“Why’d you-"  
She sighs, but gives him a faint smile.  
“Because even if you're rude and annoying, you still saved us.  
And that makes us _friends_."  
She emphasises the last word, almost as if she doesn't trust him to understand it, and walks out of the store.  
Clearing Eyes cast a bemused glance after her as the burning emotion returns.  
_Yes_ , he decides, attempting to cast it off.  
_Humans are utter fools._  
Following the idol, he spies Focusing Eyes and his little friend in the distance.

It seems that, without his influence, the brat is going to survive this fine Summer's day.  
_How annoying..._  
Clearing Eyes, however, doesn’t have the time to muse on such changes.  
Before he can say anything, Drawing Eyes drags him off to another miserable store.

~^~

“We’re back!”  
As Clearing Eyes enters the hideout, his face a picture of exasperation, he suddenly realises why everyone else was hesitant to accompany them.  
“I hope you brought some food. We’re out.”  
Concealing Eyes gives them a cursory glance, then gestures to the kitchen area; Deceiving, meanwhile, merely yawns and turns back to the TV, where the human appears to be doing something.  
“Hey, Saeru, can you help me unpack?”  
At this the liar stiffens, sits up, and calls out to the idol.  
“I’ll help you Kisaragi.”  
“No, it’s fine. Saeru can-”  
“I said _I’m_ helping you. Saeru’s probably tired from all that shopping - right Saeru?”  
Though the look he gives the snake is perfunctory, it also carries an icy chill, clearly not attempting to put the subject matter up for debate.  
Clearing Eyes, taking pleasure in jerking around his old puppet, grins.  
“I don’t mind assisting.”  
Those familiar cat eyes narrow and his expression darkens.  
“Well, it’s great that you don’t mind but Kisaragi here will probably appreciate a break from your company, wouldn’t she now?”  
Deceiving turns to the idol who, meanwhile, seems to be growing rather red from all the sudden care flung her way - by two people who have shown her no prior care of the sort, no less.  
“Well...Kano does have a point. You rest Saeru - I’ll get you that signature in a minute.”  
“Fine: I don’t mind.”

Annoyed now, the snake takes the liar’s place on one of the couches, turning his attention to whatever the human and Opening Eyes are doing.  
“Hey, don’t steal my kill!”  
From the looks of things, they seemed to have hooked up some device to the TV, and are now playing some sort of video game, with the human using a manual controller and the cyber girl playing remotely.  
The situation seems rather unfair to the snake, but the boy appears to be managing well enough.  
It vaguely reminds the snake of the project his old master worked on with Awakening and Opening Eyes all those years ago…  
“Hey kid- Shintaro, could you sign something for me?”  
The human, his eyes glued to the screen, mumbles a half-hearted, “Sure, just let me win this round” and continues playing.

A few seconds later, the words _GAME OVER_ appear on the screen, the human throws the controller down, spouts a few expletives, then turns calmly to the snake.  
“Uh, what did you need again?”  
“Just sign this. Oh, you too, Ene.”  
Opening Eyes seems almost offended by his address and pouts, something she often appears to do when having to communicate with him.  
“Only if you beat me in the next round.” she finally grumbles, and the snake rolls his eyes.  
“Ugh, fine…”  
He grabs a controller absentmindedly, attempting to get to grips with its various mechanics.  
The human, seemingly noticing his struggle, provides some support.  
“Oh, you haven’t played before? Here, I’ll help you-”  
“Master, don’t assist him! He’ll learn on his own!”  
“Jeez, you really don’t like playing fair, do you?”  
The snake knows beating the cyber girl with a handicap will only serve to increase her suffering - and lift his spirits.  
“It’s fine. Neither do I.”  
_Clearing Eyes briefly thinks of Favouring, muses on whether or not she would agree._  
“He should at least have _some_ experience…otherwise, you’re just using him as a punching bag!”  
“No, Master! He’s _my_ opponent, so we’re playing by _my_ rules!”  
As the two bicker over their trivialities, the snake yawns.

_This is a truly colourless summer afternoon…_  
He wonders if he should paint it red now that everything is falling into place.

~^~

_Once upon a time…  
There was a little monster.  
This monster was shunned all her life by others.  
However, one day, she met a human.  
This human showed the monster compassion.  
The monster fell in love with the human.  
The human reciprocated its feelings.  
And they lived happily ever after..._

“What a foolish tale.  
No human can love a monster.”

“Oh come on! Don’t be such a killjoy!”  
Favouring Eyes laughs, a listless, desolate laugh, as she closes the book she had been reading aloud.  
“You always ruin the ending.”  
“The ending is stupid. Now I see why that human ignored you… 

She gives him a cold glare, but smiles sweetly nonetheless.  
"You know, you remind me of him a lot…if he was devoid of all positive traits, anyhow."

"Ah, speaking of which, I have something to give to you."  
He pulls out the list of signatures, along with a minute folder of photographs and passes them to her.  
"I was…unable to convince Deceiving Eyes despite my best attempts. It seems the boy- brat has no interest in ‘playing nice’, regardless of what I do.”  
Though it's not a perfect victory, Clearing Eyes doesn't really know _how_ to appeal to the deceiver and his distrustful mannerisms.  
“Well, I didn’t think _you_ had the capacity to ‘play nice’ until you realised it was a potential source of mockery…” Favouring mumbles.  
He's about to retort before she pulls a face (a rare sight for her, with the eternal smiling) and studies the documents meticulously.  
“Oh my god...you actually did it…” she whispers, colour seeping into her cheeks as she scans each and every one.  
“Well, of course - I would never resist an opportunity to laugh at your idiocy-”  
“Tsubomi’s so big now!” she squeals. “Kousuke, too-”  
“Hey, are you listening, kid? I-”  
“And Shintaro...I wonder if he still remembers me…”  
Turning to the snake, she smiles.

A genuine, joyous smile.

Clearing Eyes finds himself grasping for words.  
“Wait - are you... _happy_ I succeeded?”  
“Of course I am! If you can befriend people, you can learn to trust them - and if you can do that, then…”  
_Then the queen’s plan could actually succeed._  
_Where is her fury? Why isn’t she-_  
“I was just so certain that you’d just creep everybody out with your weird laugh and erratic movement that this is actually a huge relief!”  
Clearing Eyes, too stunned to speak, is snapped back into the moment by that comment.  
“I do not move erratically!” he insists.  
“In fact, I’d argue that my motor skills have improved considerably over the last ten thousand timelines!”  
She just laughs, hugging him, and the snake suddenly feels the familiar burning feeling increase by tenfold.  
"Ugh, leave me alone! Truly, it’s not that big of a-"  
“Yes, yes it is a big deal. Don’t you understand? By going through all this, you proved that you-”  
“All it proves is that I have a way with words.”  
He shoves her off and pulls back, suddenly feeling trapped.  
“Besides,” he shrugs, “It’s not like I can’t go back to my old ways anytime I wished to do so.”  
“You can’t,” she protests, waving the documents around like a sign of victory, “because if you do, I will still have this as evidence of what you can do.  
And I won’t let go of it until the others see it too.  
Then you’ll _have_ to change.”  
“And why is that?”

“Because no one will be afraid of you anymore; because Marry will no longer tolerate your behaviour.”  
He rolls his eyes, attempting to suppress his last confrontation with the queen.  
“Oh, please - what could _she_ do?”  
Favouring Eyes gives him a dark look.

“She’ll snap. You know she will.  
Everyone has a breaking point - and realising that you’re just messing with her despite all the chances she keeps giving you will be hers.  
She probably knows you have these - and she’ll also know that you left them here.  
She’ll kill you Clearing Eyes - no, destroy you.”

“She won’t.”  
The snake can’t deny the air of fear in that statement.  
“That doesn’t mean she can’t - and why wouldn’t she?  
Why _shouldn’t_ she, after all the misery and torment you put her through?”

Favouring Eyes has a point, he can’t deny that.  
But the idea of the queen truly killing him…  
_It’s just...not her._  
_(He recalls the timeline after their promise, the tiny boot against his chest, the force with which it pressed.)_  
A weak excuse, he knows, but one he sticks by nonetheless.

“And how would you know that?” the snake asks.  
_(The bullet inches from his head, fired into the pavement.)_  
“I could ask you the same question. How would you know she won’t destroy you?  
You are the villain, after all...”  
_(Awakening Eyes' body was not human - it could easily survive a bullet wound.  
So why...why was he shaking?)_  
Favouring quiets, musing on something.  
_(Can she see him? Can she see how pathetic he's being?)_  
“But you don’t have to be. You could always become a hero.”  
_This again?_

Turning away from the girl, ~~_hiding the fear of death,_~~ the snake scoffs.  
“And what good is a hero, anyways?  
Some vain pedestal isn’t going to change one’s view of the world.”  
Favouring Eyes draws in a deep breath, a hardened expression on her normally cheery face.

“A hero” she begins, “is someone who does the right thing even if it’s hard - even if they don’t want to.”  
He smirks, confidence regained.  
“Ah, but see, your definition of ‘the right thing’ doesn’t exactly match mine.”  
“A hero can be selfish,” she insists, “as long as they perform good deeds.”  
“You’re ridiculous.”  
He walks to the classroom door, preparing to leave.  
But Favouring Eyes’ determined voice continues to ring in his ears.

“You can be your own hero, Clearing Eyes.  
You don’t have to don red to achieve that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Ugh, I hate this chapter so much-_  
>  ~~ _No, but seriously, everything about it sucks (except maybe the ending), but I don't know how to rewrite it_~~  
>  _I just...passively despise it._  
>  Is this OOC? It is, isn't it?  
> I'm attempting to justify this by arguing that Ayano prioritises the happiness and wellbeing of the Dan members over kicking Clearing Eyes' ass (although he certainly deserves it), and so while seeing him mingle with them is...annoying, if he's not hurting them (or at least not any more than usual), she can't bring herself to see the harm in it (it's not as if she could do anything about it, anyway).  
>  _(Also, she's secretly hoping he'll finally see the value of the world, and quit being such a murderous asshole)_  
>  I don't know, I feel as if I'm making Ayano out to either be two-faced, encouraging Clearing Eyes to interact with the Dan despite all the pain he's brought them, or a saint, forgiving him for the thousands of times he has committed mass murder.  
> Oh well - I don't really know how badly I fucked up without criticism, but, alas, none of my friends are into KagePro, so I'll have to pray for the kindness of strangers on the internet.


	6. Lost Days and Hours I - Enemy Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Part 4: Lost Days and Hours**  
>  In which Clearing Eyes comes to terms with Haruka's memories and his views on Takane.  
>   
>  _I - Enemy Win_  
>  Feeling lost, Clearing Eyes is drawn to the Dan member he thinks he can exploit the most.

Clearing Eyes enters the next timeline with a newfound sense of aimlessness: despite the completion of his short-term goal, the desire to relapse into murder is now encompassed in that burning feeling from before - perhaps even fuelling it.

It feels...restrictive, really, now merely another means of sending him right back to the start without any feelings of true accomplishment or satisfaction.

But perhaps…

Perhaps the words of Favouring Eyes carried some semblance of truth.

Perhaps, the snake considers, his ability to befriend really did lead into the ability to trust.

Perhaps, if he tried trust, he could-

 _Nonsense_ , his better judgement scoffs.

_Even the mere notion of "friendship" with any of these brats is ridiculous._  
_And besides, when has that girl ever aided you in the long run intentionally?_

_Then again..._

There's something...convincing about the idea of queen snapping and killing him out of anger.

Something convincing enough that he finally considers taking her plan seriously.

 _Oh, what the hell_ , he thinks. 

_What do I have left to lose, anyways?_

Thusly, one question forms in his mind.  
_Whose trust is the easiest to earn?_

And it has to be someone _interesting_ , of course.

He doesn’t think he can bear another route with that pathetic wretch Drawing Eyes, nor the dull apathy that is Concealing Eyes.  
Deceiving Eyes, though certainly interesting is not a route he would consider anytime soon for reasons clear, and Stealing Eyes, well…

Stealing eyes is the complete antithesis to the word interesting.  
The queen, on the other hand, would certainly be the most averse to any of his tactics.  
And the human? That being is as worthless as they come.  
Now that Focusing was out of the picture, that leaves only one person.

The serpent smiles.

~^~

“What are you doing here?”

The words are sharp and callous, dripping with resentment.

“I’ve come seeking forgiveness. I’m sorry for all I’ve done, and I hope we can be friends."

Clearing Eyes watches the colour drain from the cyber girl's face before it reverts back to animosity. 

“What...why? Did you hit your head or something, Imposter?”  
“Oh, is that the name you’ve given me now? How endearing.”  
“What did you expect? Haru- Konoha would never do something so despicable.”  
“Of course he wouldn’t.

He’s dead, after all.”

The exchange between him and Opening Eyes does not last very long.  
Her mannerism, like in most timelines, is cold yet furious.  
His mannerism, like in most timelines, is polite yet snide.  
But something is different.

He’s trying to be friendly - or at least, he thinks he is.

“Ene,” he begins, softening his tone but not quite sure how to phrase it, “I do not wish to alarm you, but I genuinely want to be friends.”  
That’s a lie, a big lie, but the snake cares not for his own emotions in the matter - as long as the girl plays along (perhaps even providing him with some entertainment), his own future remains secure. Kokonose’s memories will only carry him so far, after all.

Regardless of whether or not she sees through his facade, however, the girl remains unfazed.  
“You’re lying.”

“What makes you so sure of that?"  
"If you were really attempting to 'be friends', you wouldn't dress up like" she gestures to his perversion of Awakening Eyes, "...this.  
"You want me to change my appearance?"

She doesn't say anything, but the expression on her face gives it all away.  
It's a surprisingly simple request, making him realise, for the first time in a while, that humans are surprisingly simple beings.  
This gives him...confidence, reasserting his footing in a worldview he is reluctant to let go of.  
"Aw - and here I thought it was an improvement."

Clearing Eyes knows it wouldn't take much to manipulate Awakening's form, but still retains an affectation of effort, hoping to gain her trust via mock sacrifice.

"I'm unsure...it may take a while…"  
He flashes her what he presumes to be a soft smile, causing her to draw away with disgust.  
"But alright, Opening Eyes - for you, I'll work on that in the next timeline."

And with that, he pulls out his gun.

~^~

_A different form, huh…_

Clearing Eyes wonders what appearance he should take on in the next timeline.  
Engulfed by the black mass, the snake feels the lesser beings begin to slither to his command.  
_Something striking_ , he mulls, _something elegant_.  
_Something that will dispose of Opening Eyes' negative notions._

And, from the hazy, twisting mass arises his ideal form: a taller, darker, variation, taking a few design aspects from his previous self (affectionately dubbed "Kuroha" by him, and only him, it seemed), albeit with his own twist: his face, once only donning two small circles, now bears a myriad of ebony scales; the headphones replaced by horns; his once human hands now claws...

 _Yes_ , the snake thinks, _this is me_.  
But looking into the mirroring daze of the Haze, he frowns.  
_This isn't right..._

Well, it is - from a certain, point of view.  
Were this completely up to him, he'd be pleased with this form, finding it appealing even; it is his ideal body, after all.  
But he has humans to consider.  
And so it's back to the drawing board. 

_It's for the best_ , he tells himself.  
_A monstrous form would only serve to frighten and repulse them - not to mention the general public.  
Besides, it's unlikely that cyber girl had _this _in mind._  
Clearing Eyes considers this, conjuring up images of all the people he's seen through his exploits. 

Human...human...

 _ **Oh, who cares?!**_ he wants to cry.

Opening Eyes does.  
And that, for one reason or another, won't stop bothering him. 

When he next emerges from the black mass, the claws have been reduced to normal, human hands, the horns have disappeared altogether and his scales, his beautiful, precious scales, hallmarks of his superior lineage, have mostly been hidden, save for the few littering his cheeks, mirroring the cyber girl's own face.  
Clearing Eyes has never really considered himself vain, but the disposal of scales hurt.

 _Oh well_ , he tells himself, _it's not as if anyone else appreciates them anyway_.

~^~

When he next encounters Opening Eyes, she seems at first surprised; then pleased; then disappointed as he resumes his signature snide smirking. 

He can't exactly tell what she was expecting - the girl has requested a change of wardrobe, not character.

Clearing Eyes surveys the blue-haired girl as she shuffles uncomfortably to and fro on the screen, speaking in a soft but self-satisfied tone as to not draw any attention.  
"I did it, see? Will you trust me now?"  
She gives him a questioning glance, then shakes her head.  
"I'm not stupid. I can tell that wasn’t really hard for you. If you really want me to trust you, you just need to do one simple thing."  
_Oh great_ , the snake realises.  
_She's just like Deceiving Eyes._  
_Oh well. Lost cause, I suppose._  
He's already plotting how best to respond to her telling him to leave them all alone when the cyber girl finally speaks.

"Throw your gun away." 

He looks up, incredulous.

"Excuse me?"  
"Throw your gun away. If you want me to trust you, I need to know that you're not going to hurt anyone."  
Once again, it's a surprisingly simple request that reminds him of how simple humans can be.  
Shrugging dazedly, the snake makes his way to the all-purpose bin kept in the kitchen and disposes of the item rather unceremoniously.  
He could always just use brute strength if the timeline needed termination.

For a moment she peruses him warily, but his action seems to cement something within her mind, prompting a certain, unsettling glint to appear in her eyes.  
"Alright...now apologise to everyone!"

Thus begins their "friendship". 

She makes no attempt at small talk, nor any inquiries about his interests.  
No, from the looks of things, she seems to take his sudden subservience as something to exploit.  
Rather annoying, really, but the snake supposes he should've expected it; what he couldn't have expected, however, is the return of that burning feeling, urging him to get as far away from all of this as possible.

Regardless of that, however, he still gives her a vicious stare.  
"Not. Happening."  
"If you want to be my friend, you need to apologise."  
Despite his best attempts to keep his voice low, exasperation gets the better of his tone.  
"Opening- Ene, I understand that you may view these beings as important, but I, for one, believe they are utterly-"  
He stops mid-sentence, finding that the word doesn't feel quite right.

"Utterly what? Despicable?"  
Her deadpan tone has returned once more.  
"utterly insignificant." the snake hisses, annoyed now.

Opening Eyes sighs, fiddling with her hands.  
"We can't be friends then."

He knows he could just attempt to befriend another, someone like Concealing or Stealing, with their ridiculous lack of awareness and instant trust.  
But something is keeping him here, something urging him on to stay here and to persist despite every fibre of his being wanting out.

It's these damn memories. 

He knew that when he picked Opening Eyes, she wasn't interesting, not really. 

There is nothing special about her; no deep secret nor lingering desire to torment her with, and no thing truly worth the time spent in its discovery.  
Then again, none of these brats have such a thing to offer.  
After all the time he's seen and spent with them, the snake simply knows all their quirks, woes and wishes - regardless of whether he wants to know or not.  
And with these memories, Opening Eyes is arguably the one he knows the most.

The memories themselves aren't even the root of the problem: it's the emotions they carry.

"Opening Eyes, I'm not willing to humiliate myself for your sake. We're not even that close-"  
"Don't lie to me. I've seen you do stupid stuff just to become buddies with everyone.  
I've seen how hard you've tried with Kano, regardless of what you might say."  
Crossing her arms, she stares at him boredly.

"I don't know why you did it, but whoever it was for must feel pretty special that the great Imposter-man actually went out of his way to be a decent human for once."  
Something about her manner aggravates him, and he grips the phone tightly.  
"My name," he growls, "is Clearing Eyes."  
She remains unfazed.  
"Whatever you say, Imposter."

"Why weren't you so difficult in the previous timelines?!"  
He can't help but yell in pure irritation, unable to comprehend her sudden apprehension.

"Because," she replies, "I was afraid of you.

"Oh."  
For a moment, Clearing Eyes isn't sure whether he should be offended by the implication that he _isn't_ terrifying, or offended by the realisation that she's actively _messing_ with him.  
Either way, he feels offended - but Opening Eyes clearly doesn't notice this, staring off into the distance as she speaks, her face lost in memories.  
"You're not so scary - now that you're trying to pass off as a human and everything, but back then, when you were trying to convince me that Haruka was still in you and junk, I was genuinely scared of you."  
Her face hardens. 

"Of course, now that you're behaving like a spoiled brat, and killing everyone seems to be a chore to you, I no longer have a reason to do so. 

"So...you wouldn't have a problem with me killing you right now?"  
She ponders on that for a few seconds, then shrugs.  
"No, I suppose not..." 

As she catches his grinning expression, however, hers flickers to one of panic.  
"Don't get any ideas, though! I _will_ scream!"

Clearing Eyes chuckles at the sight, then slips into quiet curiosity.  
Personal offence can wait - this is something interesting.  
"But...don't you fear death?"  
It's a sentiment he hasn't seen many mortals express before.  
_~~It's a sentiment he can't rid himself of.~~_

"I mean, yeah, I used to but...it's routine now, isn't it?  
When I first realised we were stuck in a time loop, of course I wanted to end it, but...there's just no way for me to do so.  
So I figured I might as well hold onto what makes everything special...what makes my days worth living.  
I can't kill myself, not while I'm like this...so I'll just have to live with it."

Her eyes, filled with despairing resignation, bore into him.

"If nobody knows, save for maybe fox eyes with the way he looks at you, and we all come back anyways, what's the point in telling anyone?  
There is none.  
Because regardless of what I could try to do, you'll just end up killing everyone anyway.  
That's what I realised after we first spoke: that, regardless of my actions, I will never be able to change or stop you because it - no, death - is inevitable."

Clearing Eyes is taken aback.  
Despite all he knows, despite all the memories and experience he has had with Opening Eyes, this is completely unprecedented.  
_Was this why he couldn't just leave her and move on? This...this utter, passive despair?_  
He isn't used to _this_ kind of resignation from a human, especially not after his exposure to the queen's fiery outbursts and Favouring's relentless hope.

The snake feels that he must do something about it.

 _A hero is someone who does the right thing even when it's hard, huh?_  
Clearing Eyes doesn't think what he's doing is particularly "right" nor "hard", but he does it anyways because this is wrong and he needs to fix it somehow.  
_Is...is this what they call pity?_  
_Is he pitying her?_

"So...what if you could? What if death wasn't inevitable and all of you lived past August 15th?"

She casts him a questioning glance, sighing.  
"Well...I suppose life would carry on as normal then. But I think we both know that's pretty impossible."  
"And suppose it wasn't?"  
Chuckling sardonically, Opening Eyes' answer is but a whisper. 

"Then I'd wake up."

He can't stop the burning feeling from returning as she speaks, and simultaneously can't stop himself from pressing on.  
"You wouldn't have to - not if we become friends."

The cyber girl lets out a defeated sigh.  
"Fine. What do you want to do then?" 

~^~

This timeline is not the first, nor will it be the last. 

Clearing Eyes knows this even as he plays out pleasantries with the girl, even as he speaks words of false hope and especially as he buries the desire to return the fight in her eyes.

 _You're right, Opening Eyes,_ he thinks to himself. 

_Death is inevitable._

_The Haze is inevitable._

_And perhaps, someday, it will no longer be the only fate you face on this hazy summer day._

He smiles bitterly, to no one in particular. 

_But I think we both know that's pretty impossible._

_I can't die for your happiness._

_I_ won't _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, KuroEne...  
> You beautiful, hot, angsty mess.  
> I am an unapologetic fan of the "hurr Clearing Eyes stole _Konoha's_ body, so he now has access to _Haruka's_ memories (despite the fact that Konoha ≠ Haruka)" headcanon, and I will squeeze every last drop of angst out of it.  
> Really, I think Clearing Eyes and Ene can only develop a semblance of a relationship (platonic or otherwise) as long as this headcanon is applied (otherwise I believe we have a Kano situation on our hands), so I don't mind.  
> Also, personal headcanon: Ene is able to remember, or at least has a certain sense of awareness regarding past timelines as long as Opening Eyes is in effect (that's what Saeru meant in AM II when he referred to "saving" - probably should've clarified in the notes for that chapter). She cannot, however, remember timelines where she was in her body at her time of death.  
>  _ ~~You can hate me for my headcanons, but that only makes me stronger-~~_  
>  _Another headcanon: Clearing Eyes is unable to give non-creepy or non-threatening smiles, so when he "smiles softly" at Ene, he's basically doing a Shintaro smile._  
> 


End file.
